1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spare tire brackets and more particularly pertains to a new spare tire storage bracket assembly for safely securing a spare tire under a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of spare tire brackets is known in the prior art. More specifically, spare tire brackets heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,710; U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,540; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,313; U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,995; U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,785; U.S. Pat. No. Des 378,364.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new spare tire storage bracket assembly. The inventive device includes a spare tire storage bracket assembly that includes a main member designed to be coupled to a selectively extendable and retractable cable of a vehicle. The main member includes a pair of outer portions designed to be positioned to engage a lip around a central opening of a rim of a spare tire of the vehicle. An attachment assembly holds the main member against the spare tire whereby the main member is prevented from being passed through the central opening. The attachment assembly includes a plate member that has a pair of apertures. The attachment assembly further includes a pair of screws, each of the screws includes a head portion and a threaded portion, and the threaded portion of each of the screws is insertable through an associated one of the apertures. The apertures are positioned such that the threaded portions are inserted through the attachment holes in the rim of the spare tire when the plate member is positioned adjacent the rim of the spare tire. The attachment assembly further includes a pair of nut members, each of the nut members are engaged to an associated one of the screws whereby the plate member is engageable to the rim of the spare tire for holding the main member against the rim in a static position relative to the spare tire whereby the spare tire is selectively raisable and lowerable when the cable is retracted and extended.
In these respects, the spare tire storage bracket assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of safely securing a spare tire under a vehicle.